Kamal Ghorui
New Delhi: The earnings of Indian Railways from passenger movement rose 6% to around Rs 80,000 crore in 2025-26, while freight revenue lagged, clocking a 1.4% rise to Rs 17.8 lakh crore.Data showed that the national transporter carried a record 741 crore passengers during the last financial year and freight loading was at an all-time high of 1,670 million tonnes, although it was lower than the target of 1,700 MT.Separate data also showed that railways and road transport ministries utilised their entire capex for FY26 of around Rs 5.5 lakh crore.Road transport ministry officials said highway construction touched 9,100 km and the award of new works stood at 6,500 km. NHAI, which is responsible for construction and maintenance of wider highways, said it constructed 5,313 km of NHs, about 15% higher than the target of 4,640 km for the year.“The capital expenditure by NHAI in 2025-26 was at Rs 2.4 lakh crore. This is about 2.5% higher than the budgetary support. The differential amount has been met through NHAI’s own resources,” it said.On Wednesday, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Rajya Sabha that the national transporter operated 76,352 special trains in the last financial year and cargo loading also increased. In a statement, railways said freight growth was driven by a 13% increase in fertiliser, pig iron and finished steel transport. Iron ore loading increased 6.7%, while cement volume went up 3.4%, reflecting steady activity in the infrastructure and construction sectors.
